Land mine



June 13, 1944. G. BERGER LAND MINE Filed Nov. 18, 1941 R E w E a c m w cPatented June 13, 1944 l UNITED STATESA PATENT OFFICE LAND MINE l GeorgeC. Berger, Waubun, Minn.

Application November l18, 1941, Serial No. 419,632

4 Claims.

This invention relates to land mines for military purposes and moreparticularly to a subterranean mine operable by the impact of a person,tank or other movable object traveling thereover.

The object of the invention is to provide a projectile ring device ofsimple and inexpensive construction adapted to be embedded in the groundin the path of travel of an approaching enemy so that, as the enemytraverses a selected mined area, the foot of an infantryman or thewheels of an armored car by contact with the firing'barrel will depressthe same and actuate the device to discharge a bomb or projectile,thereby checking the advance of approaching troops and either entirelyor partially wrecking the rolling equipment of the enemy.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the classdescribed including a lower member or casing having a barrel detachablyconnected therewith and adapted to receive a cartridge, said casingbeing provided with a spring-pressed firing pin and having a receivingcup slidably fitted on the lower end thereof and operatively connectedwith a locking pin so that downward pressure exerted on the upper end ofthe barrel will shear the locking pin and re the cartridge.

A further object is to provide a land mine which can be used either forring a solid projectile` or a bomb or explosive charge, the length ofthe firing barrel being such as to propel a bullet therefrom withsuicient velocity to materially damage any object it happens to hit.

`A further object is to provide a projectile ring device which is lightin weight and compact in construction to permit the same to be readilyvcarriedl by a soldier in his pocket and also to permit large numbersthereof to be transported in a comparatively small space and quicklypositioned in the ground without the employment of special tools orskilled labor.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve thisclass of devices so as to in crease their utility, durability andefficiency.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of-this specification and inwhich similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding part-s in al1the iigures of the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective View of a portion of a'roadwayor other minedarea showing a number -of the devices embedded in the ground,

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional AView taken on the line y22 of Figure1,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the ringpin set todischarge a projectile,

Figure fl is a similar view, partly in elevation, showing the lockingpin severed and the ring pin engaging the cartridge to re theprojectile.

Figure 5 is a'vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, illustratinga. modified form of the in vention, and

Figure 6 is a similar view showing a further modification. e

The improved device forming the subjectmatter of the present inventionis principally designed for mining the approach to a city, fort,magazine or other important place during time of war, and in Figure l ofthe drawing, a large number of said devices,indicated at 5, are shownembedded in the ground in close spaced relation to each other and withtheir upper ends disposed flush with or slightlybelow the surface of theground, as indicated in Figure 2.

Each projectile firing device comprises a vertically disposedcylindrical body portion 6 having its upper end cut away to form asocket 1, the interior walls of which are threaded at 8 for detachableengagement with the correspondingly threaded end of a combined actuatingmember and firing barrel 9 adapted to receive a projectile carryingcartridge, indicated at I0.

The body portion 6 isprovided with a chamber II opening through thebottom end thereof and forming a source of communication between saidchamber and the socket I is an opening I2 which accommodates theadjacent end of a ring pin I3. The interior walls of the chamber II atthe f lower end thereof are threaded at I4 for engagement with a.correspondingly threaded closure plug I5 and formed inV said closureplug is a vertical opening I6 through which the lower end of the ringpin extends.

Surrounding the firing pin I3 is a coiled spring I'l, one end of whichrests against the closure plug I5 while the opposite end thereof engagesa suitable stop I8 extending through the ring pin. .The spring. I'I isheld under tension by means of a transverse locking pin I9 whichnormally bears against the lower face of a boss 20 depending from theclosure plug I5 and serves to hold the upper end of the firing pin I3 inretracted position. The locking member or pin I9 is formed of anysuitable 'metal capable of being readily severed by the boss 2U whendownward pressure is exerted on the body portion 6. The firing pinV I3may be either of the center or rim type but it is preferred to use acenter firing ,155 pin, as illustratedin Figure 3 of the drawing.

.normally covers the openings 22,'as shown.

In operation, the barrel 9 is detached from',

the body portion 6 and the cartridge Ill inserted used over again as inthe case of the projectile firing device previously described.

In Figure 6 of the drawing, there is illustrated a further modified formof the invention particularly adapted for discharging a subterraneanmine, indicated at 32. In using this form of the invention, the deviceis embedded in the ground with the hollow member 33 uppermost and withthe ring pin extending longitudinally through the barrel A3l! forcontact with a detonating cap so that, when downward'pressure is appliedon the hollow'member 33, the ring pin will be actuated to detonate thecapV 35and explode the therein with the flange of the cartridge "shelli' bearing against the adjacentfend ofp-the. barrel, as indicated at 25.The barrel is then threaded on the body portion and the device embeddedin a roadway or other selected area to be mined, as illustrated inFigure 1 of'the drawing. Prior to embedding the device in the ground,the firing pinwill be set with thelower end thereof bearing against the`bottom'of 'the' hollow "base member 2| and with the closure cap 23extending over the upperend of the barrel, as illustrated in Figure 3.As the enemy approaches the mined area, the feet of the infantrymenor'the wheels oi a tank or other rolling equipment will come in contactwith the upper ,end of the actuating member or barrel 9 of one or moreof the devices thereby depressing thesame and `forcing the body'portion6 downwardly within the hollow member 2l.' As the bodyportion'movesdownwardly, theinne'r edge of the boss 20 at Vthe opening l5 will shearoff the locking member or pin I9, thereby releasing the spring I1 andcausing the ring pin to explode `the 'cartridge` |70 so as to maim theenemy and `either entirely or partially wreck the rolling stock.

In order to recharge the device, it is merely necessary to detach theactuating member or iiring barrel 9 and insert a new cartridge thereinand a new locking pin through the lower end of the r-ing pin, as will bereadily understood. Inasmuch as the depending ange of the closure cap 23is formed of rubber, any compression in the upper end of the barrelincident to the firing operation will pass outwardly through theopenings 22 and force the ange laterally to relieve the pressure. Byincreasing thesize of the devices, lthey may be utilized as bombs fo'rwrecking tanks, armored cars and other lheavy equipment.

In Figure 5-of thedrawing, there 'is illustrated a modiiied form oftheinvention, in which the cartridge is dispensed with, they body portion26 being provided with a relatively large chamber for the reception ofan explosive-charge `21 includirig a Adetonating cap Y28. the device,ythe ring pin -29 'is' secured .tothe bottom of the hollow base memberJ'30 and surrounding said pin and 'interposed between the body portionand the bottom of 'the 'base 30 is a coiled spring 3! which serves tonormally and yieldably hold-the detonating end of the firing pin29m-lowered or inoperative position. When pressure is exerted on theactuating member v32, the body portion ZSwill be depressed against thetension of the spring 3l andthe firing 4pin coming in Contact with thedetonating cap 28 will explode the .charge 2l, thus acting as asubterranean mine. The force of the explosive charge wi'l1,of course,demolish the ..d'evice and scatter the parts 'th'ereo'f'v so that yitcannot `be In this vform of.

- charge 3,2.

The devices are simple and compact in construction and light in weightso that they can y'bereadilv'carried by a soldier in his pocket or largequantities of the devices transported in a comparatively small place andquickly positioned of an enemy and in which eventV blank cartridges inthe ground without the employment of spe-V cial tools or skilled labor.

If desired, the device might be used as a'war'ning signal to notifydefenders ofA` the approach will be substituted for the projectiles.

It will, of course, be understood that the devices may be made inVdiierent sizes and shapes and constructed of any suitable materialwithout 'departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: Y

1. A device of the class described includingxa hollow member adapted tobe embedded in the ground, a body portion slidably mounted within thehollow memberV and having its upper end threaded, a combined actuatingmember and firing barrel, adapted to'receive a cartridge and having itslower end threaded for detachable engagement with the threads on thebody portion, a ring pin disposed within the body .portion and havingits lowerY end projecting'within the hollow member, a spring operativelyconnected with the vfiring pin, and a locking pin extending through theprojecting end of the ring pin and adapted to be severed by engagementwith the body portion uponfdepression of the actuating member thereby torelease the spring and` cause the firing pin to detonate the cartridge.

hollow member adapted to be embedded in the ground, a body portionslidably mounted for vvertical movement in the hollow member, a hollow'lactuating member operatively connected with the body portion vandmovable downwardly b y pressure on its upper end, the vupper end of theactuating member being normallyV open andthe side walls thereof at saidopen end formed with a vent opening, a resilient cap normally :closingthe open end of the actuating member and provided with a dependingflange iitting over the 'vent opening, lan explosive charge, and afiring` pin for detonating said charge upon depression of the actuatingmember.

3. A device of the class described including 1a hollow member adapted tobe embedded inthe ground, `a body portion slidably mounted withinchamber having a vertical 'opening leading therefrom and opening throughthe threaded portion thereof, a combined actuating member and-firingbarrel adapted to receive a cartridge and having its lower end threadedfor detachable engagement with the threads on the `body portion, va

`lclosure cap for the lower end of said chamber,

a firing pin extending through the chamber and having its lower endprojecting below the closure cap, a spring tted within the chamber andcoiled around the firing pin, and a severable locking pin extendingtransversely through the projecting end of the firing pin and adapted tobe severed upon depressing the upper end of the actuating member therebyto release the spring and re the cartridge.

4. A device of the class described including a hollow member adapted tobe embedded in the ground, a body portion slidably mounted for verticalmovement within the hollow member, a -combined ring barrel and actuatingmember operatively connected with the body portion and having its upperend disposed adjacent the surface of the ground, a cartridge fitted inthe barrel, a spring-pressed firing pin cooperating with the hollowmember, and a locking pin tted to one end of the ring pin and adapted tobe severed by the body portion and release the iring pin upon depressionof the actuating member by the weight of an object passing over thesame.

GEORGE C. BERGER.

